Rolling-mill



W. H. SUMMER.

ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2|. 1919.

Patented Mar- 29, 1921.

2 SHEETS-BHEET I.

W; H. SUMMER.

ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED IL 21. IBM). I

1,373,029. Patented Mar- 29, 1921.

o: 3w" ""M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SOMMER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO K EYSTONE STEEL & WIRE COMPANY, OF SOUTH BARTONVILLE (PEORIA) ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- NOIS.

ROLLING-MILL.

Application filed January 21, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may con-007%:

Be it known that I, lVILLmM H. SOMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rolling-Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in rolling mills; and it has for its principal object to improve the bearing supports for the necks of the rolls, particularly rolls of 12" in diameter and less and those operating at a high speed.

In the art of rolling metal, where two rolls are placed in relation to each other so that a strand of metal passed therebetween is reduced in cross-sectional area, or given a different shape, it has been the practice, so

far as I am aware, to provide bearings for the necks of the rolls, which comprise, pref erably wood or fiber blocks, and a manually operated means for regulating the rela tive positions of said blocks; whereby, as the surfaces of said blocks, upon which the necks of the rolls rotate, or against which they bear, become worn, the blocks may be forced apart to maintain the required spac ing between the acting faces of the rolls, so that a perfect'rolling of the strands may be obtained, and the rolling of faulty, or overfilled strands obviated. The means most generally used for adjusting and holding the blocks in proper spaced relation comprises, preferably, a wedge-shaped member acting against similar faces on the blocks and a threaded stem to move the member and engaging a nut. A suitable tool applied to the stem will result in establishing the de sired relation between the blocks.

In my present invention, I employ sub stantially all of the aforementioned ele ments, except in a modified form, and I also include a means in which power may be stored, and which constantly acts to cause a separation of the blocks; whereb as the surfaces of the blocks, on which t e necks of the rolls rotate, become worn, permitting the coacting faces of the rolls to move closer together, thereby destroying their effectiveness, to automatically act to restore the relation of the rolls, one to the other and thereby maintain the effective rolling relation of said rolls.

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to the accom- Specifioation of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Serial No. 272,349.

' tially broken away Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the adjustable bearing blocks and power means for forcing them apart, the necks of the rolls being shown in dotted lines in end elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view in plan of the parts seen in Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference denote corres onding parts throughout the figures.

eferring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown illustrated a huge casting or support 1 having the upstanding end bearing posts 2.

A set of rolls 3 and 4 are journaled in said casting 1 with the necks 5 offlthe rolls situated between a pair of end bearing posts 2. The coacting faces of these rolls, between necks, are formed with a plurality of corresponding annularly arranged grooves 6, for purposes well understood.

The necks of the lower roll 3 rest in hearing blocks 7, which, in the usual manner, well known in the art, may be adjusted to regulate the up and down position of said roll, within certain prescribed ranges.

The necks of the upper roll 4 have a hearing against the superimposed bearing blocks 8 and said necks rest and rotate on the preferably, Wood, fiber, or composition blocks 9.

The blocks 9 are associated with comanion blocks 10, the latter being spaced elow the blocks 9 and forming a bearing surface against which the necks of the lower roll rotate.

.As the blocks 9 and 10, at each end of the rolls 3 and 4 correspond, both in structure and function, the description of one set will suffice for all.

These blocks 9 and 10 are positioned between the end bearing posts 2, of the main bearing support, and they are held spaced apart at one end by a'wedge shaped member 11, and at the other end by an interposed spacing member 12.

The wedge member has beveled or tapered faces 13 which bear against corresponding beveled or tapered faces 14 on the ends of block disposed transversely to the blocks 9 and 10 and has the flange portion located between the end bearing post 2 and the ends of the blocks, 9 and 10, and said block 12 has its main body portion lyin between the blocks 8 and 4 and against which they have a bearing, and through said block 12, in

axial alinement with the chamber 18 in the wedge shaped member 11, is arranged an opening 21 formed with an enlarged, preferably circular recess 22, see Figs. 3 and/1.

23 designates a threaded stem or rod having the head 24 which is provided with an axially disposed, preferably square recess or socket 25. This rod passes through the opening 21 of the spacing member 12 with its head 24'seated in the socket 25, and the main part of said stem passes through the openingl'? in the extension of the wedge member, and also through the chamber 18 and opening 19 of said wedge member, and on the body of said stem, in the chamber 18 is arranged a preferably, helical compression spring 26. This spring at its forward.

end bears against the end wall 16 ofthe eX- tension of the wedge member 11, and at its opposite end against a nut 27 screwed on to the stem 23.

Attention is here directed to the fact that the opening 19 in the body of the wedge member 11 is preferably, square in cross-section and that the chamber 18 also corresponds thereto in cross-section.

28 designates a stem which has a bearing through an end bearing post 2 and on its outer end is squared, as at 29 to receive a suitable tool for operating said stem. The inner end of the stem has asquare head 30 to fit in the similarly shaped socket 25 in the head 24 of the stem 23.

It should be obvious from the foregoing description that with the parts assembled as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, an operator, by applying a suitable tool to the stem 28 may compress the spring 26, and store up there'- in, as much power as is desirable, within certain prescribed ranges. The stem 28 being rotated will in turn rotate the stem 23,

and the nut 27 being held against rotation, it must move on the stem 23 compressing the spring 26 between the end wall 16 of the member 11 and the said nut 27. Pressure thus constantly applied tends to force the wedge faces 13 of the member 11 against the similar faces 14 on the blocks 9 and 10, maintaining said blocks in a relatively uniform spaced relation at all times.

The surfaces on the blocks 9 and 10 against which the necks of the rollers 3 and I bear, will naturally become worn, and unless provision is made to force the blocks 9 and 10 apart, such wear will eventually permit the rolling portion of the roll 3 to move in closer relation to the roll 4 than is practical, and the resulting rolling operation would be a faulty or overfilled strand, on the entering ends of the strands. The lower roll 4 does not change its position,'but as the bearing surfaces of the blocks 9 and 10 wear, the upper roll 3 does change its position. Therefore, the action of the member 11 is to move the block 3 and to constantly retain the proper spaced relation between the two blocks 9 and 10. The block 9 fulcrums on the body of the spacing member 12, although the actual fulcrum is on the lower roll 4.

I have shown my improvements applied only to one set of rolls, but it is understood in rolling mill practice they are multiplied many times, and while I have chosen to illustrate the invention applied to a well known rolling mill construction, the invention may be applied to analogous constructions with sIight modifications, and without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a rolling mill, in combination, a set of rolls, superimposed bearing blocks between the rolls, means between the blocks adapted to force the blocks apart and means acting automatically whereby the last named means is actuated as the surfaces against which the rolls rotate, wear; whereby the coacting parts of the rolls may be maintained in proper spaced relation.

2. In a rolling mill, in combination, a support, a set of rolls, one above the other, bearing supports in which the necks of the lower roll rotates, bearing supports above the necks of the upper roll and in which they rotate, superimposed bearing blocks between the necks of the rolls, means between the blocks adapted to force the blocks apart and means acting automatically whereby the last named means is actuated as the surfaces against which the necks of the rolls rotate, wear; whereby the coacting parts of the rolls may be maintained in proper spaced relation.

3. In 'a rolling mill, in combination, a set of rolls, a pair of blocks between the rolls having bearing surfaces against which the rolls rotate, means for forcing the blocks apart, whereby to retain the rolls in proper spaced relation, and a power element to exert pressure on said spacing means, said element acting automatically as the bearing surfaces of the blocks wear.

surfaces against which the rolls rotate, a

member to force the blocks apart, a compression spring acting on said member, and means to compress said spring.

6. In a rolling mill, in combination, a set of rolls, a pair of blocks having bearing surfaces against which the rolls rotate, a member to force the blocks apart, a compressionspring acting on said member, means to compress the spring, and other means to actuate said spring compressing means.

7 In a rolling mill, in combination, a set of rolls, a pair of blocks having bearing surfaces against which the rolls rotate, said blocks having similar wedge shaped faces, a wedge block engaging said wedge faces 011 the bearing blocks, a compression spring acting on said wedge block, and means to compress said spring.

8. In a rolling mill, in combination, a set of rolls, a pair of blocks havingbearing surfaces against which the rolls rotate, a member having a wedging relation with the of rolls, a pair of blocks having blocks at one end, a spacing member between the blocks at their opposite ends, a threaded stem passing through the spacing and wedging members, and having a head in the spacing member, a compression spring on said stem bearing 'at oneend against said Wedge member, a nut on the stem against which the opposite end of said spring bears, and means engaging the head of said stem for operating the same.

9. In a rolling mill, in combination, a set bearing surfaces against which the rolls rotate, a member having a wedging relation with the blocks at one end and having a chambered extension extending parallel with said blocks and square in cross-section, a spacing block between said blocks at their opposite ends, a threaded stem positioned in the chamber of said wedge block and having a head in said spacing block, a compression spring on said stem in said chamber, a nut on the stem and wlthln the chamber to secure the spring onthe stem, and means engaging the head of the stem for operating the same.

10. In a rolling mill, in combination, a'set of rolls, a pair of blocks having bearing surfaces against which the rolls rotate, means for forcing the blocks apart including a yielding element and means to com-- press said element, whereby to which may be utilized as the faces of the blocks wear.

.WILLIAM H. SOMMER.

store power bearing sur- 

